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Georgia Institute of Technology

Personal Services Reporting


Using the Plan Confirmation System
Personal Services Reporting
Under the United States
Government Office of Management
and Budget Circular No. A-21
(Revised)

Personal Services Reporting


Using the Plan Confirmation System

Georgia Institute of Technology


Office of the Associate Vice President
Financial Services
Office of the Vice Provost for
Research and Graduate Studies

Personal Services Reporting


Under the United States
Government Office of Management
and Budget Circular No. A-21
(Revised)
Georgia Institute of Technology

Issued July 1,
Revised July 1,
Revised July 1,
Reprinted February 1,
Revised July 28,
Revised September 26,
Revised August 3,
Revised November 16,
Revised December 21,

1981
1987
1990
1997
2000
2002
2005
2007
2009

Office of the Associate Vice President


Financial Services
Office of the Vice Provost for
Research and Graduate Studies

Personal Services Reporting


Using the Plan-Confirmation System

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM
______ I have received the Plan-Confirmation Booklet, have read it, and have a
complete understanding of my responsibilities for personal services
reporting under the Plan Confirmation System.
OR
_____ I would like to attend a presentation of the Plan-Confirmation Booklet in
order that I may gain a more complete understanding of my responsibilities
for personal services reporting under the Plan Confirmation System.

Employees Name:

_______________________________________________
Please Print or Type

Employee Identification #
or GTID # :
______________________________________________

School/Department:

_______________________________________________
Please Print or Type

Employees Signature:

_______________________________________________

Date:

_______________________________________________

RETURN TO GRANTS AND CONTRACTS ACCOUNTING OFFICE, MAIL CODE 0259, WITHIN
THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF YOUR PLAN CONFIRMATION SYSTEM BOOKLET

Personal Services Reporting Using the Plan-Confirmation System


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview: Personal Services Reporting.. Page 2

3.2 Personal Services Reporting Using the Plan


Confirmation System
Revised December 2009

Background.. Page 2
Compensation for Personal Services ... Page 3
After-the-Fact Activity RecordsNon-Professional Employees... Page 3
Plan-Confirmation System:Professorial and Professional Empl. .. Page 3
Salary Planning and Distribution (SPD) System Page 5
Georgia Institute of Technology Budget System.. Page 5
Plan Confirmation System - Reports, Standards, Responsibilities
Departmental Responsibilities . Page 6
Monthly Updated Workload Assignment Forms. Page 6
Significant Changes in Workload Distribution. Page 7
Retroactive Changes in Workload Distribution Page 7
Standard Documentation Requirements... Page 7
Special Documentation Requirements and Limitations
Externally-Funded Sponsored Projects . Page 8
Exceptions to the 120 Day Limit. Page 8

Principal Investigator Responsibilities... Page 9


Employee Responsibilities... Page 9
Annual Statement of Reasonableness (ASR) of Salary Charges Page 10

ASR Signatory Certification Requirements


- Certification of Effort.Page 10
- Unit Financial Managers Certification...Page 11
Annual Audits of the Plan-Confirmation System.Page 12
Independent Internal Evaluations of the Plan-Confirma System. Page 13
Appendix
I. Definition of Terms and Functional Activities Page 14
II. SPD System Monthly Employee Cost Detail Report Page 17
III. SPD System Updated Workload Assignment Report.. Page 18
IV. SPD System Project Cost Detail Report.. Page 19
V. Annual Statement of Reasonable of Salary Chrges(Page1).. Page 20
VI. Annual Statement of Reasonable of Salary Chrges(Page2) Page 21
Practice Exercise for Employee Interviews During Audit Page 22

Overview
As a major research university that manages a large number of sponsored
agreements, Georgia Institute of Technology must have financial systems and
procedures in place to assure compliance with the terms and conditions of the
agreements and State and Federal regulations concerning sponsored programs.
One of the most important parts of these procedures involves the documentation
and support of the distribution of salary and fringe benefits charges to sponsored
programs.
Georgia Institute of Technology policy requires that the preparation of invoices to
sponsors be based on the information in the accounting records, including the
salary and fringe benefit charges determined by the Plan Confirmation System.
In most instances, these billings are issued on a monthly basis. Every invoice
must be signed and certified by an Institute financial officer. The signature
certifies the accuracy of the charges presented on the invoice for payment:

Are directly related to the project scope,


Are allowable by the project budget,
Have been incurred within the approved time period, and
Have been incurred according to all Institute accounting policies and procedures.

For the above reasons, the distribution of personal service costs to sponsored
projects is a sensitive issue in the universitys operation of its sponsored
programs; it therefore receives careful scrutiny by Institute officers, sponsor
representatives, and federal government contracting officers and auditors.

Background
The Federal Government's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) - issued
Circular A-21, Revised, establishes principles for determining costs applicable to
grants, contracts, and other agreements between Federal agencies and
educational institutions. All Federal agencies that sponsor research and
development, training, and other work at educational institutions must apply the
provisions of this Circular in determining the costs incurred for such work.
The provisions of OMB Circular A-21 apply to all units of Georgia Tech other than
the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). Employees of GTRI utilize hourly
time sheet procedures designed to comply with Federal Acquisition Regulations
31.2, which have different requirements for the documentation of personal
services expenses. The GTRI Policies & Procedures Manual includes specific
instructions for GTRI time sheet preparation and time reporting.

Compensation for Personal Services


Compensation for personal service covers all amounts paid currently, or accrued
by the institution, for services of employees rendered during the period of
performance under sponsored agreements or other institutional activity. The
distribution of salaries and wages, whether treated as direct (charges to activities
such as instruction, research, public service) or F&A (indirect) costs (support
activities such as Departmental Administration, contract administration and
accounting, and central administrative office services), are based on payrolls
documented in accordance with the generally accepted practices of colleges and
universities. The payroll distribution system, which is incorporated into the official
records of the institution, must reasonably reflect the activity for which employees
are compensated by the institution, and it encompass both sponsored and all
other activities on an integrated basis.
OMB Circular A-21 identifies three acceptable methods for handling payroll
distributions: the After-the-Fact Activity Records system, the Plan-Confirmation
system, and a system of multiple confirmation records. Georgia Tech uses the
Plan Confirmation System for Professorial and Professional Employees and the
After-the-Fact Activity Records System for Non-Professional Employees.

Employees Covered by the Plan-Confirmation System


Professorial and Professional Staff
The Georgia Tech Plan-Confirmation System covers all professorial and
professional staff employees who meet the following requirements at any time
during the fiscal year:

All academic personnel paid monthly whose activities are distributed to a


sponsored project and/or more than one project or account.

All other monthly paid personnel:


o Whose activities are distributed directly either to one or more
organized research projects, other sponsored agreements, or
cost-sharing projects.
o Who distribute their activities to more than one direct or indirect
(Facilities and Administrative) activity.
o Who split their effort between direct and indirect (Facilities and
Administrative) activities.
o Who have any or all of their effort distributed to Departmental
AdministrationInstruction,
Departmental
AdministrationResearch and/or Other Sponsored Activities.

After-the-Fact Activity Records Non-Professional Employees


Graduate Student Employees
Georgia Tech uses the After-the-Fact Activity Records system for nonprofessional employees. Where an institution uses time cards or other forms of
after-the-fact payroll documents as original documentation for payroll and payroll
charges, such documents, according to Circular A-21, shall qualify as After-theFact Activity Records provided the distribution of salaries and wages will be
supported by appropriately approved documents.
The use of time documents, as prescribed under current Georgia Institute of
Technology payroll procedures, meets the requirements of OMB Circular A-21 for
non-professional employees, and no additional activity reporting is necessary for
the non-professional employees. So although these employees are covered by
OMB Circular A-21, they are not included in the Institutes Plan Confirmation
System.

Georgia Tech uses the Plan-Confirmation System as the basis for its distribution
of salaries and wages for all appointed graduate students who are paid on a
monthly basis from sponsored, cost-sharing, general research and departmental
administration projects. Under this system the distribution of salaries and wages
is based on budgeted, planned, or assigned work activity, which is updated
throughout the year to reflect any significant changes in work distribution.
All graduate students who are paid on an hourly basis shall report their time
worked on bi-weekly time documents, and the Plan-Confirmation System does not
cover them. This procedure meets the requirements of OMB Circular A-21 Afterthe-Fact Activity records and no additional reporting is necessary.

Plan-Confirmation System Professorial and Professional


Employees
Georgia Tech uses the Plan-Confirmation System as the basis for its distribution
of salaries and wages for most professorial and professional staff. Under this
system the distribution of salaries and wages is based on budgeted, planned, or
assigned work activity based on the initial annual budget and updated throughout
the year to reflect any significant changes in work distribution.

Plan Confirmation System Reports, Standards,


Responsibilities
Departmental Responsibilities

Salary Planning and Distribution (SPD) System


During 1999 the Institute implemented a new Salary Planning and Distribution
System (SPD) which operates as a sub-system to the Office of Human
Resources Payroll system. The SPD system is designed to receive employee
and salary distribution information from the payroll system, and can accept new
information about employee activities to update the distribution of salary and
fringe benefits expenses. In most instances, the unit financial managers can
enter updates to salary distribution directly to the system on a daily basis. Salary
distribution changes for other units are processed on a daily basis by the SPD
Center located in the Grants and Contracts Accounting Office. Salary distribution
changes can be made throughout the month and updated summary reports of
employee salary distribution can be printed after completion of each change.
This information is directly submitted to the sponsored project accounting records
to permit early evaluation of project financial status.
As a part of the SPD system features, any applicable fringe benefit expenses are
charged to projects based upon the appropriate flat rate fringe benefits
percentages as approved on an annual basis. In addition, graduate student
tuition remission (GSTRP) charges are posted and encumbered for all projects
that are eligible for these charges.

Georgia Institute of Technology Budget System


The Plan-Confirmation System (PCS) and the Salary Planning and Distribution
(SPD) System have been developed and implemented to support the regular
Institute budget process.
In preparing the annual budget, the Budget Office obtains original operating
budget information from all campus organizational units. The initial budget
information contains the details of each employee's salary as well as the
distribution between state and sponsored projects. When the budget is approved,
the salary information is uploaded to the Office of Human Resources payroll
system. Following that process, the SPD system is populated with the approved
project allocations to initiate the activity monitoring required by the PlanConfirmation System. Subsequent appointments are entered into the payroll
system using the OHR appointment forms and then the information is provided to
the SPD system.

Unit heads and financial managers (who have been delegated signature authority
by unit heads for submission of salary information to the Budget and SPD
Systems) are responsible for the accuracy of salary and fringe benefits
transactions. This includes confirmation that the salary charges are allowable
charges to the designated projects, and that funds are available to support such
charges.
All changes to salary distribution are to be reported and corrected as soon as
possible to assure the accuracy of monthly invoicing to sponsors. This reporting
process is covered in the SPD System operating procedures and training
programs. All retroactive salary distribution changes that add charges to
externally-funded** sponsored projects are subject to additional documentation
requirements, restrictions, and limitations.
See Retroactive Changes in
Workload Distribution.
Unit financial managers are to provide instructions and support to employees
covered by the Plan Confirmation System (PCS) to make sure that these
employees understand their responsibilities in this regard. This training is
supported by the Salary Planning and Distribution (SPD) Center in the Grants and
Contracts Accounting Office via an on-line web tutorial and/or booklet entitled
Personal Services Reporting.
After completing the required training, all
employees covered by the system are to prepare and submit an
acknowledgement form (either through electronic or manual means) indicating that
they understand their responsibilities for personal services reporting using the
Plan-Confirmation System. This completed acknowledgement must be on file in
the SPD center for all employees whose salaries are charged directly or indirectly
to sponsored projects.

Monthly Workload Assignment Forms


At the end of each month, a workload assignment form is prepared for each employee
covered by the Plan-Confirmation system. Employees are notified by E-Mail from
Grants and Contracts Accounting when their reports are available and may be
accessed using a link provided on the message. These forms can also be reviewed on
the TechWorks Home Page when obtaining monthly payroll information. Unit financial
managers may also produce copies for review by individual employees. Each monthly
Electronic Workload Assignment Form (EWAF) covers an entire fiscal year, July 1 to
June 30, including both actual payments and planned salary distribution for future
periods. In this way, the employee is reminded of the current and future distribution of
salary charges based on effort and his/her responsibility to report workload changes to
his/her supervisor. See Employee Responsibilities.

Significant Changes in Workload Distribution


The Plan-Confirmation System provides for the modification of an individual's
salary distribution, commensurate with any significant change in the employee's
workload or the ratio of activities comprising the total workload. Specific events,
which will or may cause a significant change in workload distribution include, but
are not limited to:

The beginning or ending of work on a sponsored project or an internally funded


project.
A material change in the scope of work on a project.
An increase or decrease in the number or level of courses taught.
A new committee or major administrative assignment or relief from a committee or
major administrative assignment.
The beginning or ending of a sabbatical leave, leave without pay, or prolonged
sick leave.
Status changes from part-time to full-time or vice versa.

The system does not require an adjustment in the employee's workload assignment for
day-to-day, or short-term, changes in his/her work schedule. However, the basic concept of
the Plan-Confirmation System does require an adjustment for all significant changes in an
employee's workload. Although there is no precise definition for the term "significant,"
Georgia Institute of Technology policy provides for a general rule that a change applicable to
a given project or activity of 5% or more of an employee's total effort over the course of the
academic term would warrant an adjustment.

Retroactive changes that cross fiscal years may be made in extraordinary


circumstances by manual journal entries when supported by appropriate
documentation, including a revised Annual Statement of the Reasonableness of
Salary Charges (ASR).
Special Documentation Requirements and Limitations Externally-funded**
Sponsored Projects
In addition to the standard documentation requirements noted above, retroactive
salary distribution changes that add salary charges to externally-funded**
sponsored projects must be accompanied by a written (or system-recorded)
justification statement at an appropriate level of detail. Specific reasons for the
transfer must be provided in the explanation. Transfer requests of this type that
are not properly documented with an acceptable justification statement will be
moved to the units sponsored undesignated project number by SPD Center staff.
Retroactive salary cost transfers to externally-funded** sponsored projects beyond
120 days of the original expense posting will not be allowed under normal
circumstances.
Provisions for exceptions to the 120 day limit will be considered as follows:

Changes in an employee's workload distribution for future periods are generally acceptable
but are subject to the standard documentation requirements noted below. Future period
workload distributions are confirmed monthly via EWAF (described above).

Retroactive Changes in Workload Distribution


Retroactive changes to payroll distributions must be subjected to the closest scrutiny.
These types of changes indicate a contradiction of previous monitoring reviews and, for
that reason, should be limited to the correction of errors. If a retroactive change must
be made, it must be approved and documented in accordance with the requirements
included below.

Standard Documentation Requirements

Primary supporting documentation for Plan Confirmation System salary charges are
signed Acknowledgement Forms, Monthly Workload Assignment Forms (EWAFs), and
Annual Statements of Reasonableness (ASRs). These forms and reports are fully
explained in other sections of this policy statement.
Georgia Tech authorizes the principal investigator (PI) and the properly authorized unit
designee (financial manager and staff) to have primary responsibility for the
management of sponsored agreement funds. Therefore, the actions of these
individuals as documented using manual/electronic signatures and/or a system
password is normally considered sufficient documentation to support standard
workload allocation changes.

In situations where initial or continuing sponsor funding is delayed


beyond 120 days after the effective date, consideration for recognition of
cost transfers beyond the limit will be addressed by the Grants and
Contracts Accounting Office if the transfer is requested within the
reporting period of the sponsored project (typically 60-90 days after the
expiration date of the project). If the terms and conditions of the
sponsored agreement provide for acceptance and payment of the
expenses covered by the proposed cost transfer and appropriate
supporting documentation is provided, the Director of Grants and
Contracts Accounting will approve the proposed transfer.
Other exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and
properly documented.
Upon the proper approval of the Director of Grants and Contracts
Accounting, the Associate Vice President Financial Services, and the
Associate Vice Provost for Research, such entries will be recorded.

** Excludes sponsored projects funded by Georgia Tech Foundation and


Georgia Tech Research Corporation. Transfers between projects associated
with the same sponsored fund (award) are not subject to special
documentation requirements or the 120 day limitation.

Annual Statement of Reasonableness (ASR) of Salary Charges


Principal Investigator Responsibilities
Each Georgia Tech PI is responsible for effectively overseeing and managing
his/her sponsored projects based to a considerable extent upon his/her knowledge
of the field of study and his/her capabilities to conduct the projects in an efficient
and productive manner.
Monthly PI Sponsored Project Review reports are provided directly to PIs by the
Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting to permit timely reviews and
approval/confirmation of all charges posted to his/her assigned sponsored
projects. PIs are to perform periodic reviews of these charges to provide proper
financial oversight.

Employee Responsibilities
The employee has definite responsibilities in the operation of the PlanConfirmation System (PCS), and these are set forth below for his/her information
and guidance:

All employees with appointments to positions or activities covered by the PCS


must develop an understanding of their responsibilities for PCS reporting by
participating in the on-line Web training program and/or reading the Personal
Services Reporting booklet. After completing the required training, the
employee must prepare and submit an acknowledgement form (either
through electronic or manual means) indicating that they understand their
responsibilities for personal services reporting using the Plan-Confirmation
system.
The employee is to review the Monthly Workload Assignment form to confirm
the accuracy of current and future salary distribution. To assist in this regard,
each monthly report includes a notification regarding changes made to
workload allocations since the last report.
The employee must advise his/her supervisor or unit financial manager if
his/her Monthly Workload Assignment forms are not received in a timely
manner.
The employee must advise his/her supervisor if the actual effort for a given
project or planned to be given to a project or activity varies by 5% or more of
the total estimated effort shown for the current assignment, so that the
workload may be modified.
The employee must provide additional supporting documentation to his/her
supervisor for any change in salary distribution that is reported over 120 days
after the payroll date. For all salary distribution charges to externally-funded
sponsored projects, an alternate funding source is to be provided.
If appropriate action is not initiated promptly by his/her supervisor or the
designated unit financial manager, the employee should immediately notify
the SPD Center at spd.ask@business.gatech.edu.
The employee must retain in his/her files the initial workload assignment form
as well as all Monthly Electronic Workload Assignment Forms received during
the current fiscal year. The employee must complete, sign, date, and return
their Annual Statement on the Reasonableness of Salary Charges for each
fiscal year by the stated deadline.

The Plan-Confirmation System requires that at least annually a statement will be


signed by the employee, principal investigator, or responsible official, using
suitable means of verification that the work was performed, stating that salaries
and wages charged to sponsored agreements as direct charges, or that salaries
and wages charged to both direct and indirect cost categories, or to more than
one (F&A) indirect cost category, are reasonable in relation to work performed.
The Annual Statements on the Reasonableness of Salary Charges (ASRs) for
Georgia Tech coincide with the institution's fiscal year, which ends June 30 for
covered employees having Fiscal or Academic Year appointments. The Salary
Planning and Distribution (SPD) Center of the Office of Grants and Contracts
Accounting will distribute the ASRs to School Chairs or organizational unit heads
following completion of the fiscal year. ASRs must be completed and returned
according to the specific date selected each year.
The Annual Statement on the Reasonableness of Salary Charges presents the
workload distribution of each employee for the year. This statement shows the
amount of salary charged to each of the employee's projects and the percentage
of each amount to the total effort. This statement merely restructures the
Electronic Workload Assignment Form, which the employee has in his/her
possession, and, by adding the percentage figures, provides a ready means of
making adjustments in payroll distributions if required. The instructions on the
Annual Statement provide that the percentages of certified annual effort, Column
D on the form, are to be completed only if they differ from the actual amounts of
salary charged to the various projects. If changes are required, the certified annual
effort percentages in Column D must be entered for each project number and
must total 100%. Also, if effort is reported in Departmental Administration (typically
Project numbers ending in 290, 400, 990) the section on these activities must be
completed by designating the activities performed .

ASR Signatory Requirements Certification of Effort


The Annual Statement on the Reasonableness of Salary Charges (ASR) is
designed for the employee to confirm that the distribution of salary charges to
projects represents a reasonable estimate of the work performed during the stated
period. In most instances, only the employee has the information required to
complete this certification and therefore most ASRs must be completed and
signed by the covered employee.
The ASR does provide a second certification section to be used in limited
instances when the covered employee is not available to complete the
certification. This certification may be signed by a School Chair or other
organizational unit head, without the employee's signature, provided the
responsible official is prepared to certify that he/she has firsthand knowledge of all
the employee's activities using suitable means of verification that the work was

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performed. If the responsible official cannot certify that he/she has personal
familiarity with all of the employee's activities, then the employee is required to
sign the statement. In some cases, an employee may be involved in a number of
activities under different supervisors, and no single person other than the
employee has firsthand knowledge of all his/her activities. In these cases, the
employee must sign the documents.
If a covered employee or graduate student completes his/her term of employment
and/or is on leave from Georgia Tech during the certification period, a special ASR
can be requested from the SPD Center for immediate confirmation prior to fiscal
year-end. These special ASRs will be prepared to reflect all salary payments
made to the employee at the end of the assignment.

Unit Financial Managers Certification


The Plan Confirmation System procedures also require that the appropriate
financial manager in each unit review the ASR statements before returning to the
SPD Center in Grants and Contracts Accounting. This unit quality assurance
review is needed to ensure that the ASR amounts and distribution agree with the
payroll and SPD records, that the Departmental Administration section of the
statement has been completed as needed, and that the form has been signed as
required. The financial manager should sign and date each ASR to indicate that
the review has been done. This action is in addition to any signature reported as
a responsible official having firsthand knowledge of the employees activities. In
no case should the employee signing the ASR in the Certification section (above)
also sign in this financial manager certification section.

Forms/Links

Georgia Institute of Technology Procedures

Annual Audits of the Plan Confirmation System


Institute operating procedures provide for an annual audit of the Plan
Confirmation System to assure that the system is operating as planned and to
comply with the requirements of OMB Circular A-21 Plan-Confirmation System
requirements. These requirements state that the overall system will provide for
an annual independent internal evaluation to ensure the system's integrity and
the employees compliance with applicable standards.
The Internal Audit Department of Georgia Institute of Technology performs this
independent evaluation, and the procedures performed are described on the
following page.
In addition to the annual audit work performed by the Internal Audit Department,
the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) conduct audits referred to as Floor
Checks on an annual basis. These audits, which are scheduled on a surprise
basis, consist of interviews of employees and unit financial officers with activities
covered by the Plan-Confirmation System. The purpose of this audit is to
determine the employees knowledge of the Plan-Confirmation System and their
compliance with the requirements. The information presented in this booklet is
designed to provide the background and knowledge needed by Institute
employees to respond to these audits should they be selected. At all times during
these audits, a Georgia Institute of Technology employee is present to assist with
audit procedures.

Additional information concerning the Plan-Confirmation System and procedures


may be accessed from the SPD Center section of the Grants and Contracts
Accounting Office web site:
http://www.grants.gatech.edu/

*******
Contact the Salary Planning and Distribution Center at spd.ask@business.gatech.edu for
additional guidance related to Personal Services Reporting using the Plan Confirmation
System.

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INDEPENDENT INTERNAL EVALUATIONS OF THE PLAN-CONFIRMATION


SYSTEM

APPENDIX I
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Instruction

OMB Circular A-21 Plan-Confirmation System requirements states that the system
will provide for independent internal evaluation to ensure the system's integrity
and compliance with applicable standards. The Internal Audit Department of
Georgia Institute of Technology performs this independent evaluation.
Reviews by Internal Audit will meet the following standards:

Instruction means the teaching and training activities of an institution. This term
includes all teaching and training activities, whether they are offered for credits toward
a degree or certificate or on a non-credit basis, and whether they are offered through
regular academic departments or separate divisions, such as a summer school division
or an extension division. Departmental research is a part of the instruction function.

1.

Instruction - Departmental Research

Reviews will have the objectives of evaluating whether:


- Original assignments and workload distributions are adequate, specific, and
reasonable.
- Changes are being promptly identified and reviewed by responsible individuals
having firsthand knowledge of workload distributions.
- Prompt decisions on the significance of changes are being made and documented
by responsible individuals.
- Significant changes are being promptly entered into the records .

2.

The review process will include interviews with a representative number


of employees covered by the system. These interviews will determine
whether:
- The employee has in his/her physical possession the initial workload assignment
and all subsequent workload assignments.
- The employee thoroughly understands the nature of significant changes, which will
require a modification in workload assignments.
- The employee is aware of his/her responsibilities in reviewing all workload
assignments for reasonableness and in reporting significant deviations in workload
assignments to his/her supervisor.

3.

Follow-up reviews will be made to determine that prompt action has been
taken to correct any problems disclosed during the initial review.

4.

Internal Audit will document and retain as a part of the official records of
Georgia Tech, the following:

- The defined scope of the review.


- Tests that have been performed.
- The results and recommended corrective actions.
Internal Audit will report its findings on the Plan-Confirmation System in
accordance with written institutional policies.

Departmental Research represents general research and development and scholarly


activities that are funded by the department general research budget. These activities,
which are not separately budgeted and accounted for in the financial records, are part
of the Instruction function.
Instruction - Sponsored Instruction
Sponsored instruction represents specific instructional or training activities established
by grants, contracts or cooperative agreements funded by agencies external to the
institution.
Organized Research
Organized research means all research and development activities of an institution that
are separately budgeted and accounted for by the institution. This term includes
research and development activities that are sponsored by Federal and non-Federal
agencies and organizations, as well as those that are separately budgeted by the
institution under an internal allocation of institutional funds. It also includes activities
involving the training of individuals in research techniques (commonly called research
training) where such activities utilize the same space and facilities as other research
and development activities, and where such research and development activities
include all costs incurred by the institution in performing the activities.
Sponsored Research
Sponsored research is that portion of organized research, which is funded by agencies
external to the institution.

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APPENDIX I

APPENDIX I
DEFINITION OF TERMS (Continued)

DEFINITION OF TERMS (Continued)

University Funded Research


University funded research is that portion of organized research, which is separately
budgeted under an internal allocation of institutional funds. This type of research may
be conducted by faculty members who wish to develop their ideas to the point where
they would be considered worthy of support by external agencies.
Organized Research - Cost Sharing
Organized research - cost sharing is Georgia Tech's contribution to sponsored
research projects, which is separately budgeted and accounted for on the Institute's
records.
Public Service
This category includes funds expended for activities that are established primarily to
provide non-instructional services to individuals and groups external to the institution.
Activities included are programs designated as Community Services.
Community Services includes expenditures incurred in the process of making
faculty/staff/student knowledge and skills available to the community in activities other
than Instruction and Research. Examples of such activities are conferences, institutes,
general advisory services, reference bureaus, radio and television, consulting, and
similar non-instructional services to particular sectors of the community.
It should also be noted that, when viewed from the standpoint of Educational and
General operations, such activities as patient care, cooperative extension services,
marine extension services, and public broadcasting, would be included as Public
Services.

Departmental Administration - Instruction (Indirect Instruction)


Departmental Administration - Instruction includes those activities which are essential
to the administration of instruction but which, since they are incurred for common or
joint objectives, cannot be readily or specifically identified with a particular instructional
activity or project. Examples of such activities are: supervisory or managerial functions,
personnel administration, purchasing, budget control, committee assignments, editing
instructional reports, postage and shipping, telephone service, etc.

Departmental Administration - Research and Other Sponsored Activities (Indirect


Research)
Departmental Administration - Research and Other Sponsored Activities includes those
activities which are essential to the administration of organized research and other
sponsored activities but which, since they are incurred for common or joint objectives,
cannot be readily or specifically identified with a particular research project or other
sponsored activity. Examples of such indirect research activities are: supervisory or
managerial functions, personnel administration, purchasing, budget control, committee
assignments, editing research reports, postage and shipping, telephone service, etc.

Foundation Supplements
Foundation supplements are salary supplements provided by the Georgia Tech
Foundation and the Callaway Foundation. Although these supplements increase the
total compensation of employees receiving them, they do not affect the budgeted EFT
and are not included as a part of the 100% effort reported for each employee on the
Annual Statement on the Reasonableness of Salary Charges.

Other Sponsored Activities


Other sponsored activities include programs and projects financed by Federal and nonFederal agencies and organizations which involve the performance of work other than
instruction and organized research. These activities are established to provide noninstructional services to individuals and groups external to the Institute.

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APPENDIX II

SPD SYSTEM UPDATED WORKLOAD ASSIGNMENT REPORT

SPD SYSTEM MONTHLY EMPLOYEE COST DETAIL REPORT

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APPENDIX III

APPENDIX IV
SPD SYSTEM PROJECT COST DETAIL REPORT

APPENDIX V
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF REASONABLENESS OF SALARY CHARGES (PAGE 1)

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APPENDIX VI
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF REASONABLENESS OF SALARY CHARGES (PAGE 2)

Practice Exercise for Employee Interviews During Audits

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Practice Exercise for Employee Interviews During Audits

Practice Exercise for Employee Interviews During Audits

During each year, several audits are performed on the Personal Services/PlanConfirmation System and these audits include interviews of employees. The purpose
of the interviews is to determine employees' knowledge of the Personal Services
reporting system.

This Practice Exercise has been prepared to provide examples of questions and
answers from prior interviews. Employees have provided the responses used in this
exercise during prior audits of the system.

The types of questions that have been asked during prior interviews are provided
below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Provide a current Georgia Institute of Technology ID card.


What is your title? (example: Research Scientist, Engineer)?
What do you do as a (example: Research Scientist, Engineer)?
Do you perform research? instruction? both? administrative activities?
Have your received any training regarding timekeeping procedures?
Have you completed the Personal Services Reporting Under the PlanConfirmation System Acknowledgement Form?
7. May I see your current Monthly Workload Assignment Form?
8. Do you know how the percentages of time are determined on
your Monthly Workload Assignment sheet?
9. If you needed to make adjustments to your Monthly Workload
Assignment, how would you do it?
10. Do you maintain any records of how you spend your time?
11. Who would approve any adjustments to your Monthly Workload Assignment?
12. Have there been any changes to your Monthly Workload
Assignment since the beginning of the year?
13. Where do you charge your administrative effort? Do you charge any of your time
to Departmental Administration- Research and Other Sponsored Activities?
14. Are you working on any sponsored projects? If yes, what are they, who is the
sponsor, and how long have you been working on these sponsored projects?
15. Have you ever started work on a sponsored project without updating
your workload Assignment?
16. Have you ever found it necessary to charge one project for work you have done
on a different project?
17. Are you teaching any courses? If so, how many?
18. Are you doing any consulting? If yes, is it reflected on your Monthly Workload
Assignment?
19. Who is your supervisor?

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Scenario: You are sitting across a table from a representative from Georgia Tech and
an auditor who is conducting an audit of the Personal Services Plan-Confirmation
System. The following questions are being asked. Please select answers to these
questions based on your understanding of the Plan-Confirmation System requirements
and your activities.
1. Provide your current monthly workload assignment form.
a. What workload assignment form?
b. One moment, I'll get it out of my file.
c. I'm having chest pains.
d. It's in my briefcase at home.
e. The department's business office never gave it to me.
f. I threw it away because I didn't think it was important.
2. Do you know how the percentages of time are determined on your monthly
workload assignment?
a. I'm paid by the State of Georgia. Why should I care how the percentages are
determined?
b. Magic!
c. Gee, I have no clue how they're determined!
d. My director and I decided that I would teach 75% of my time and do research
the other 25%. The percentages reflect my workload.
e. I just do what I'm told. I guess the department's business office is determining
the percentages.
3. If you needed to make adjustments to your workload assignment, how would you
make the change?
a. I would discuss it first with my supervisor and then with his/her permission, I
would inform the department's business office about the new workload. I
would then check subsequent workload assignment forms to ensure the
change had been properly stated.
b. Call Grants & Contracts Accounting!
c. I'd never make an adjustment even if I should because it's probably more trouble
than it's worth.
d. Shouldn't my attorney be here with me?

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Practice Exercise for Employee Interviews During Audits

Practice Exercise for Employee Interviews During Audits

4. Did you submit your Annual Statement of Reasonableness on time


for the last year?
a. Yes
b. No

9. Do you maintain any personal records of how you spend your time?
a. Should I?
b. Yes, it helps me keep track of what I'm working on each term.
c. I'm too busy for such stupidity.
d. No. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

5. Where do you charge your administrative effort? Do you charge any


of your time to Departmental Administration-Sponsored Research
(indirect research)?
a. My administrative effort for instruction is charged to
2101290 and for research, it's charged to 2101405.
b. I have no administrative effort.
c. What's Departmental Administration-Sponsored Research
(indirect research)?
d. My salary is on 2101680 which is, you know, "funny money"!
e. If you audit us, who audits DCAA?
f. I don't know where they charge my administrative effort.

10. May I see a current picture ID?


a. Yes
b. No

6. Your workload assignment sheet indicates you're working on a


sponsored research project. What's the project number and who's
the sponsor?
a. I'm have no earthly idea!
b. I'm working on 2606681 and it's sponsored by the Navy.
c. Is this a trick question?
7. Are you doing any consulting? Is it reflected on your workload
assignment sheet?
a. No, I'm not doing any consulting.
b. Yes, I'm doing consulting with the knowledge and consent of
my immediate supervisor even though it won't be reflected
on my sheet.
c. Yes, I am doing consulting. It's not reflected on the
Monthly Workload Assignment Form, but if you'd like more
information, my consulting time is documented on file in my
director's office.
8. Do you have a copy of the written policies/procedures regarding
timekeeping procedures?
a. Yes
b. No

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25

Practice Exercise for Employee Interviews During Audits


Answers to Example Questions

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

b.
d.
a.
a.
a.
b.
All of the answers can be applicable.
a.
b.
a.

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